Iquique is a pleasant coastal town in Chile's I-region (Tarapaca, North
Chile). Iquique has about 250000 people and the population is growing..
It absolutely never rains There and the Atacama desert surrounding this
city is extremely dry and supports no life whatsoever (apart from its typical
breeding Grey Gulls). The cool seabreeze coming from the Humboldt current
compensates for the heat coming from the desert - so, this city has a very
dry but pleasant climate with almost daily sunshine, but at times humid
due to the fog coming from the Pacific.

Iquique is seldom visited by birders (I haven't found any trip report
so far). I fell in love with the place due to its mild climate, its great
food, its friendly people and the good quality birding I did here during
those five visits. It's that kind of area "where there is always something
to see".

If you want to tick a lot of species, Iquique is not the place to be
(apart from Cinerous Ground Tyrant, Seaside Cinclodes and some sparrows,
I haven't seen a single passerine here for instance). However, if
you want first class birding and birdphotOgraphy, this place is worth a
day visit on your trip to Chile. There are daily flights from Santiago,
Arica, Antofagasta and La Paz. Iquique has a modern and exellent airport
about 30 km to the south. Chilean airlines (Lan Chile/Ladeco/Avant) are
the best and safest of South American airlines, and are of American or
European standards.

When arriving in the airport, do not forget to declare your camera,
binoculars and telescope with customs. You will be given a document with
the serial numbers. This declaration is free of charge and shall be asked
for on your trip back (in October 2000 a declaration was not asked however).

There is a duty-free zone (the "ZOFRI") to the north of town which sells
a lot of consumer goods (clothing, camping gear, cameras and films etc.)
at prices cheaper than the high street prices. Most restaurants and foodstalls
in Iquique serve exellent seafood and prices are very reasonable. Taxis
are cheap - a ride from the port to Cavancha peninsula will cost you less
than a US Dollar (situation in the spring of 2000).

· The
Cavancha peninsula
: this part of Iquique has a lot of hotels. The top of the peninsula
is a flat volcanic rock of 2 acres or so with tidal pools which supports
waders, roosting gulls and terns…. it can be easily explored and is a bird
photographer's paradise. There is a small dock (between Terrado hotel and
Yacht club) used by fisherman and canoers. I had splendid observations
of roosting Cape Petrel and Humboldt Pinguins here. There are
sometimes 2 or 3 sea lions swimming in this dock as well. In October 1999
I made a spectacular observation of a Sea-Otter on the Cavancha rock.

· The
port of Iquique
: there is a fishing port, a navy base and a commercial port/container
terminal - gulls can be seen here as well as pelicans. (Take care not to
walk around with binoculars / cameras in military sensitive areas like
the navy base in the port, and the airstrip about 30 km south of Iquique).
There are quite some homeless people staying near the port and Cavancha
peninsula. I have never given them any money, but on occasions I have given
food and cigarettes to some of them. I have never had any problems with
them, but when walking around with expensive cameras and binoculars, it
is advised to be careful, despite the fact that Chile is South-America
safest country. There is a small tourist boat company which offers trips
in the port. On that trip you can see cormorants, gulls etc. roosting in
the docks. Check out the small pier where the fishing boats arrive, Grey
gulls, Band-tailed gulls, Inca terns, Peruvian Pelicans and Sea lions can
be observed and photografed at very close range.

· The
Pacific Ocean
: when the wind is good, there are sometimes massive movements of seabirds.
I have always done the seawatching from 11th or 12th story of the "Terrado"
hotel at Cavancha .Light conditions are best in the mornings. Seawatching
from a appartment block gives exellent views . Most movements of seabirds
take place from 3 pm on (however, massive migration of Sooty shearwaters
can be in the morning too).There are sometimes a lot of shearwaters, Wilsons
Storm-Petrels, Guanay Cormorants, Peruvian Boobies to be seen as well as
migrating Franklin's Gulls, Sabine's Gulls, Grey Gulls, Elegant Terns,
etc. I have never seen any albatrosses in Iquique, but I am sure they occur
here. There is also a chance to see dolphins (e.g. a pod +/- 150 on 21
october 2000) and Sealions. A pelagic trip should be fruitfull, but I have
not done it here so far.

Other sites near
Iquique ;

· East
of Iquique : there are oasis dotted in the Atacama desert. I haven't
been able to explore the area thouroughly, but a quick visit to the town
of "Pica" in October 2000 produced Golden-billed Ground-Dove and several
songbirds and hummingbirds.

Species
list

Giant Petrel
(Macronectus giganteus) : 2 juveniles flying south on 30 october
1997, 3 juveniles south on 20 october 2000 and 2 on the sea near Cavancha
feeding on a dead bird.

1 juvenile past Cavancha
on 22 october 2000.

Cape (pintado)
Petrel (Daption capense) : 1 bird sitting in the dock at Cavancha
in the morning of 30 october 1997. It stayed there until noon and fed on
fishoffal.

5 flying south on
21 october 2000.

Sooty Shearwater
(Puffinus griseus) : strong winds may bring along spectacular southward
migration of Sooty Shearwaters in the Austral spring (e.g. in the morning
of 21 october 2000 about 1800 per hour flying south and this with almost
windstill weather). Sometimes birds fly very close to Cavancha and can
easily be observed and identified. When thousands of shearwaters fly through,
determination of the species can be hard, but I assume that most are Sooty
Shearwaters.

Pink-footed Shearwater
(Puffinus creatopus) : 4 on 21 october and 3 the day after.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel
(Oceanites oceanicus) : I had stunning views of this species on
2-5 May 1998. About 50- 60 birds were flying in the shallow waters of the
fishing port and could be watched and photographed at a distance of 2-3
meters as they were very tame.They could be observed from the small pier
in the fishing port. All the birds were moulting and I was able to make
great pictures.

On 23-26 October
1999 some 3000 Wilson's Petrels could be seen off Iquique, they fed in
large flocks and could easily be observed from the shore, there was some
soutward migration too. Not a single bird came into the port. On 22 October
2000, a flock of about 350 birds just outside the port (during the touristboat-trip).

Peruvian Diving-Petrel
(Pelecanoites garnoti) : when seawatching, diving-petrels are regulary
seen, though it is impossible to identify them (they look like alcids in
flight and fly too fast and too far to see all the features).All the diving
petrels seen here should be Peruvian diving petrels. In the evening of
25 october 1999 an individual sat just behind the surfline at Cavancha
and I was very very pleased to see all the field characters of the Peruvian
diving petrel.

Peruvian Penguin
(Sphenicus humboldti) : 3 on 2 may 1998, 1 on 23 October 1999 and
1 on 20 October 2000 all at sea in front of Cavancha Peninsula.

Peruvian Pelican
(Pelecanus thagus) : common throughout. Very tame birds can be seen
in the fishing port.

Peruvian Booby
(Sula variegata) : common

Olivaceous (Neotropic)
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax olivaceus) : common. Nesting in the
city of Iquique itself (on antennas and palmtrees - so watch out when walking,
as you might be "chalked", as I have experienced myself…the smell of it
is …well…unbearable) and in the port (on abandoned ships and shipwrecks).
Feeding and roosting birds can be observed at close range on the Cavancha
rocks, especially in the morning.

Guanay Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax bougainvilii) : large groups can be seen off Iquique,
especially in the evening . Sometimes seen in the port as well.

Red legged Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax gaimardi) : the least common of the 3 cormorants,
but regulary seen. Roosting birds can be encountered in the port.

I haven't seen any
bird of this species in October 2000. Is this another sign that this species
is in the decline ??

Black-crowned
Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) : seen at dawn and dusk
around Cavancha. Roosting birds under the pier in the port where the touristboat
leaves. Birds are fishing in the tidal pools on Cavancha in the early morning
and are quite tame an can easily be photographed.

Blackish Oystercatcher
(Haemantopus
ater) : fairly common. There are most of the time between 5 and 10
birds on Cavancha, can be seen in the northern part of the port as well
(near the monument of the Mariners).

Willet (Catoptrophorus
semipalmatus) : winters on Cavancha (together with Whimbrels). Sometimes
more than 25 together. Still present on 16 may 2000 for instant (a bird
in winter plumage).

"Great skua" species
(Catharacta skua ssp) : regulary seen on migration, up to know I
have not been able to identify with 100% certainty the subspecies (Great
-, Brown -, Chilean -or even South Polar-).

Parasitic Jaeger
(Stercoraria parasiticus) : 5 migrating south on 25 october 1999
and about 10 flying south during the seawatch on 20-22 october 2000

Black Skimmer
(Rynchops niger) : regulary seen. Up to 20 birds roosting sometimes
on the beach north of the city (Playa Brava)

Grey Gull (Larus
modestus) : common throughout, sometimes up to 1500 at he "Playa Brava"
(remark ; this species has been "forgotten" in the Collins illustrated
checklist of the Birds of Southern South-America and Antarctica).

Band tailed Gull
(Larus belcheri) : common - a typical species of the coasts of Northern
Chile and Peru. A very nice species both in summer and winter-plumage.
Go to the pier (fishmarket) in the port to make pictures Band tailed gulls.

Kelp Gull
(Larus dominicanus) : common

Franklin's Gull
(Larus pipixcan) : common as a migrant in the Austral spring, individuals
sometimes seen roosting on Cavancha. Migrates is groups of up to 60 birds
and flies past Cavancha in impressive V-formations. In the morning of 25
october 1999 I counted about 700 birds flying south in 5 hours .

Sabine's Gull
(Xema Sabini) : 1 juvenile flying south on 24 october 1999. About
40 on the sea near Cavancha on 20 october 2000 and about 50 flying south
on that same day. All juveniles.

South American
Tern (Sterna hirundinacea) : about 6 roosting on Cavancha on
20 october 2000.

Elegant Tern
(Sterna elegans) : regular as a migrant (up to 70 birds roost on
Cavancha in late October) , a couple displayed on 14 May 2000. A fascinating
observation on 22 October 2000, about 200 roosting on the Cavancha rock
and 350 in the fishing port.

Inca Tern
(Larosterna inca) : common. Roosting birds can be seen at close
range in the fishing port.

Eared Dove (Zenaida
auriculata) : common

White winged Dove
(Zanaida
asiatica) : common

Golden-billed
Ground-Dove (Colombina cruziata) : about 10 in the town of Pica
(70 km east of Iquique) on 21 october 2000. According to the distribution
maps in Collins "Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica" (1998)
by Martin R. de la Peña and Maurice Rumboll this species does not
occur in Chile.

Seaside Cinclodes
(Cinclodes
nigrofumosus) : 1 feeding on the rocks in the fishing port on 22 October
2000. This Chilean endemic is apparently not common here as it is surely
not present on all suitable habitat in Iquique.

Cinerous Ground-Tyrant
(Muscisaxicola cinerea) : regular in the Austral winter. Feeds on
the lawns of Iquique or on the rocks.